From 4–12 October 2025, the Centre for Underwater Archaeology will host the international seminar “Preservation and Exploring Underwater Cultural Heritage – Capacity Building, Exchange, and Training in the Field of Underwater Archaeology”, implemented within the framework of the UNESCO Participation Programme.
The event is a continuation of the seminar held in autumn 2021 and once again brings together participants from North Africa and the Balkans. This year it will include eight young foreign specialists: two representatives from Egypt, one each from Morocco, Romania, and Montenegro, two from Turkey, and one participant from North Macedonia.
The main goal of the seminar is to encourage the exchange of experience, the building of cooperation networks, and mutual support in the implementation of future projects related to the preservation of underwater cultural heritage. Participants will present the state of underwater archaeology in their respective countries, while the CUA team will conduct a series of lectures, practical training sessions, and field demonstrations.
The programme includes:
- lectures and demonstrations in marine geophysics, photogrammetry, and conservation of finds from the aquatic environment;
- participant presentations on the underwater heritage of their countries;
- field activities with underwater drones and geophysical equipment;
- a visit to underwater archaeological sites in Nessebar – part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The seminar is an important step towards building a sustainable network of young specialists who will work together to preserve and promote the unique underwater heritage of the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. It is also an integral part of the long-term goal of the CUA and the Ministry of Culture to transform the Centre into a UNESCO Category 2 Institute for Underwater Heritage.